Universal City/CA. Epoch Times Media Group joined by New Tang Dynasty Television network presided over the premiere iteration of the 'Epoch Media Group's Gala Fundraiser and 17th Anniversary Celebration', at the Universal City, California Hilton Resort this past Saturday, October 7th, 2017.

Five hundred guests turned out in tuxedos and demure couture to dine and discuss progressive truths in a Babel of accents. In evidence was a panoply of patrons whose origins spanned the globe from Taiwan, Korea to Mumbai and Jamaica and all four compass points in between. Co-hosts Dr. Dana Churchill and Mrs. Wei Churchill said, “this year’s premiere Epoch event exceeded all expectations!”

Philanthropist Sany Dash, founder of the Sany Skincare Collection, LLC. by way of the village of Orissa, India to her current headquarters at the World Trade Center is a vocal spokesperson for the abolishment of the sex trade. She was thoroughly engaged with guest and former Miss World Canada, Anastasia Lin, who has also experienced firsthand the vagaries of suppression of speech and repressive gender exploitation. Anastasia Lin took the stage to a rapt audience of journalists, luminaries and celebrants revealing her personal struggles in the exercise of her rights to free speech and liberty.

Founding director of Epoch Times Group and the NTD TV Network John Tang provided the keynote speech, elucidating on the future of Epoch Media Group’s expanded reach as advocates of fair and balanced journalism where ‘Truth Matters’. Dignitaries from Epoch Times Li Dong, Chris Lee, NTD TV on camera host Ben Hedges, Todd Fite of the Bank of Hope, Mark Carvalho of Windstream Technologies and Reverend Restee Collins also joined in the festivities.

Holmes Stoner, President of the Pacific Rim Business Council and co-founder of Co-Modeco habitats and Minji Chang, Executive Director of Kollaboration, a company advancing creative opportunities to improve Asian American inclusion in the media, joined the animated and expansive conversations. A contingency of medical, health and wellness practitioners also were attending.

Dr. Dana Churchill, of the Churchill Center in Pasadena, CA melds Eastern whole body wellness with the most innovative and advanced treatments known in the application of functional and anti aging regenerative medicine. He is a pioneer in advanced health care, ‘not sick care’ and is on the Board of Directors of DAFOH (Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting). He advances an enlightened philosophy that assures his patients can achieve optimal health, naturally.

Charmaine Shaw, exuded a beam of light reminiscent of a bygone era when etiquette, élan and refinement mattered. As a role model to her clients; her sense of well being is a distillation of her success in front of the camera and a childhood behind-the-scenes in the rainforests of Jamaica.

With headquarters in Manhattan and news bureaus in 35 countries, Epoch Times Group has prospered as an international media network making headlines for 17 years in 21 languages. Vocal advocates of free speech and vetted reportage Epoch and with the recent addition of New Tang Dynasty Television network the editorial focuses on the Asian economic and cultural ascendancy onto the world stage. The company embraces a global perspective that reaches a staggering 100 million unique views a month!

“The chat at the round tables centered on how individuals and entire communities. “Are rising above the swamp,” said Sany Dash who presides over a monthly gathering of opinion makers and pundits in Washington D.C.. “This ad hoc gathering explores ways to unify the world rather than advocating divisiveness,” according to Mrs. Dash.

The Universal Hilton Sierra Ballroom was alive with ideas and initiatives for future engagement that included exploring solutions to chronic homelessness, community activism and creating fair employment opportunities here and abroad.

The seismic changes roiling under the mantle of history and evolution are those same forces that are shaking Berlin and Spain, Liberia, North Korea, Paris, Mosul, Charlotte to Flint. “The world has gone from the Stone Age to the Space Age in a mere century and a societal correction is overdue,” says actor Michael Merrins, and Epoch Times is consistently on the scene.

“Disruption is a historical inevitability and hopefully a prelude to building a better world,” commented Mr. Holmes Stoner, of the P.R.B.C. Compact Modular Eco Homes, a multi-national company founded to alleviate chronic housing shortages. (co-modeco.com). Dhruva Jaishankar, an expert in U.S. Indian relations encapsulated the point of view of many in the room; among them movie producer Lawrence Kubik, film distributor Leslie Collins, international photojournalist Shelby Knick,Christian Johnston, Director of the forthcoming China Tibet feature documentary. ‘State of Control’ and acclaimed NGO documentarian Michael Kastenbaum. “America beyond anyone’s living memory was always a pillar of stability,” commented Jaishankar in a recent interview. With the current institutional upheaval, climatic havoc and rampant greed bookmarked by intermittent displays of bloodshed and Barbarism there is a ground swell of people revisiting what makes us ‘civilized’ rather than ‘savages’.

“We the people have been sometimes complacent. We organized ourselves around the elites who claimed to know. Only the blind sighted and avaricious special interests can believe we are being led by those who have the citizen’s majority and future generation’s interest at heart,” said Nhat Hoang, co-founder of Honest Abe List, a Craigslist like community bulletin board whose guiding principles are integrity, honesty and listings that are truthful and vetted.

In lui of endless political battles and institutionalized inequity there is change in the air. At last week’s Epoch Times 17th Anniversary Celebration guests were exploring ‘what really matters’. “We may not always know what lies on the horizon, but as human being’s we can know what matters,” said Daniel Stanford, fine artist with celebrity patrons Rhianna and Snoop Dogg he contributed to the silent auction a singular work of art ‘Love is Eternal’ that was appraised at $15,000.

“Family matters, freedom to be and let be matters. Dignity, compassion, shared opportunity, kindness to people and all of the earth’s creatures, matter,” said Kacie Schweikhardt, mother, fashion maven and career professional at California ‘s FIDM, a fashion institute. Abundantly evident at Epoch’s gala was “we are capable of putting aside our differences, dine among strangers, while knowing what we have truly in common is written in our hearts,” quipped Dr. Dana Churchill.